Welcome to the ongoing saga of my new life in Italy. Starting with an innocent masters program in gastronomic science, I was seduced subsequently into the dream of making a fine wine in the Marche. It's a work in progress, welcome to the story of Nascondiglio di Bacco,

Friday, September 28, 2007

It rained last night for about 20 minutes and then today was a beautiful, clear, windy day in the Marche. Raffaele and I got 3 rooms ready for his friends who are staying with us this weekend and after lunch we went to Ascoli to look at tractors. Now, that makes for a FUN day.. I was able to drive the tractors and can now teach you how to drive the New Holland tractor with tires or tank chains. I am in the process of making a birthday cake for one of our guests which is a 3 day job with curd and pistachio candy layers. I am not used to baking, but I definitely have the time right now.We talk with the planters of the rootstock saturday and sunday and get bids for that and soon will order the barbatelle which will be planted the last week of November, I hope. We have decided to blow the budget and advertise in Dove magazine which has a readership of 160,000 per month and 4 times a year comes out with a vacation edition. The special edition is in Italian and English so look for Dove vacanze in april or may at your favorite bookstore. We visited one of our local wineries which makes a very nice Montepulciano called Mida and plan on inviting the owner and winemaker to join us for one or more of our cooking classes in December.The pictures above are leftovers from the Nasxonciglio winemaking and from "Cheese"l Fabio will have to pay me to remove the last picture! Before that Paolo, Jen and Favian from the University, sheep which I salute for their Pecorino cheese, another pecorino wrapped in walnut leaves and finally our special wine filter (spaghetti strainer)ciao dds